The Time In between
by FelineNinjaGrace
Summary: Not enough Steve/Natasha pairings. So I created my own! They're both so different, but is there something between them? An understanding? A connection greater than friendship? Steve wants to find out, but is not sure how to go about it. Natasha probably wouldn't be interested in an old-fashioned guy like him anyways...
1. A Jog Down 'Memory Lane'

The Time in Between

This takes place after Age of Ultron but instead of going to the Avengers Facilities and calling the Avengers to assemble like we see in the movie, Steve and Sam go searching for Bucky like they planned to do after Captain America: Winter Soldier. So the timeline will seem weird. lol, if it really bugs people and I get a lot of reviews on it, I'll fix it. Tony has just completed the Facility and invited all the Avengers to come live. Now you know the timeline somewhat.

So! I was inspired to write this oneshot for two reasons. One, there aren`t enough Steve and Natasha fanfics. I don't know why, to be honest. I mean, c´mon, there was more chemistry between those two than ANYTHING between Natasha and Bruce, or Steve and that blond agent. And obviously the producers didn`t really feel it either cause Natasha and Bruce didn't end up going anywhere (and I don't even remember that blonde agent's name!) Haha! And Two, people don't seem to really get Captain America's personality. In a lot of the fanfics, he ends up in bed with Natasha by the 5th chapter (or even the 2nd in some cases!) and it's so against his character. I don't think they really understand the ethics/morals and mentality of the whole 1940 era. So, I'm basing him off of my grandpa/great-grandpa since it's clearly a better reference for understanding World War II era, kkk. I may further it from a oneshot to a story. I may not. Just depends.

This story will be mostly from Natasha's point of view. This is the only chapter I had planned to be from Steve's unique perspective. If people want more Steve, let me know. Anyways, enjoy!

"I can feel the righteousness rolling off of me! ;)" - Loki as Captain America in "Thor, The Dark World"

* * *

It isn't easy traveling from one time period to another in what seemed the blink of an eye, Steve thought this as he picked up the pace, running across the field. The fluffy white edelweiss flowers that lied outside the town were blown to smithereens as he sped across the terrain.

For Steve Rogers, everything was different. Everything. Even the way people talked was different.

There were so many improvements. So many things that had been fixed with time; such as negro rights, transportation, agriculture...the list went on. Technology seemed to be everywhere and in everything. Women were able to get higher paying jobs. Peggy had had something to do with that actually. She had been a revolutionary.

Everything was faster. More efficient. Things like cellphones and computers were mind-blowing for Steve. The knowledge of the world, of the known universe, was in the palm of your hand. Cars that could drive themselves. Ships to outer space. Mankind on the moon. Sometimes he felt it was all too unreal. Like a dream.

But with all these improvements had also come what could only be described as "darkness". What was probably the most troubling about this day and age was the family structure. If you had told him back in 1942 that in 70 years; divorce would be 50% probable, that children had no respect for parental authority, and that single moms would reign supreme and NOT because their husbands were out fighting a war... he wouldn't have believed it for a second. Gangs were practically non-existent in his time. And what DID exist was nothing like today.

Sure, boys would be boys and would do illegal things such as get in fights, steal, and play hooky from school. He himself had once played hooky with Bucky when he was 15 (Oh, had he gotten in big trouble with his father that day...) and anyone who knew him knew that scrawny Steve Rogers had gotten in more fights than he could count, even though he had been a runt. But shoot, stab, and torture one another? They were like mini mafias with violence and graffiti all over his old city of New York. It was hardly recognizable.

War had changed, thanks to Howard Stark. A lot of blood was on his and Tony's hands.

Obesity was a new phenomenon that hadn't existed either. The few people who were 300 or so pounds were found in circuses. This day and age you saw them walking everywhere and they were heavier than anyone he had ever see. The most common killer these days were heart attacks and strokes. It used to be Pneumonia.

Steve made his way to the forest edge and didn't break pace as he pushed on into the undergrowth, dodging bushes and tree branches.

Part of the dilemma of this period was the sex. It was everywhere. Movies, music, magazines, billboards, t-shirts, birthday cards, sidewalks, t.v. shows, even women walking in public on the street...it was astonishing. The tv wasn't the innocent entertaining black and white box it once was. Where once it used to be very difficult for someone to find pornography, he had been dismayed as he sat in his apartment one day (not in the mood to go out and be reminded of how much he had missed) as he turned from one lewd channel to another on the t.v that SHIELD had provided. He had settled for a kids channel, and had finally turned the t.v. off when they showed their little cartoon butt cracks to everyone. It was subtly snuck in or even glaringly broadcasted in everything. Everything. And everyone was oblivious.

The LBGT community had been nonexistent in 1940, and Steve was appalled. People tried to tell him that it HAD existed in his time and he just didn't know it, but Steve disagreed. If it had existed it was only among the truly depraved members of society that hid their shame behind closed doors and when he said as much people got angry, calling him a self-righteous prude. "Prude" seemed like a shortening of the word "Prudent" or "Prudence", but he didn't get it. When did it become bad to be "prudent"?

It was interesting to note that depression and suicide were an everyday occurrence. With all this new technology, new medicine, new food and convenience (and plenty of sex), it obviously didn't make the population happier. They seemed more distant. More lonely than ever before. The dark web was a real thing with people torturing children, animals, and each other. The world was indeed a darker place than even World War II had been.

Steve ran through the forest, leaping over forest debris like a deer.

He didn't know why he was here in the 21 century instead of lying by Peggy's side in a hospital bed, but Captain America was an optimist. He had inspired public moral in his time, maybe this was what God wanted him to do in this one?

But there were...distractions. Well, one, actually that was in his way and he didn't know what to do about it. Natasha Romanoff.

Steve broke through the forest edge and saw a small town situated in the mountains in the distance, and he continued his sprint towards it's direction. He could begin to see a gleaming mirror in the distant, symbolizing the lake on the other side of the town.

Natasha Romanoff. The beautiful Russian double-agent that complicated everything for him. He must have a thing for foreign girls. First a British agent, now a Russian agent. The funny thing is he hadn't meant to fall for her. It just happened. He hadn't been impressed by her sleek "bad girl" attitude in the beginning and she seemed just as unimpressed with him. Then again, she acted unimpressed with everything. But then Hydra raised its ugly head and he had been put into a position where he had to trust her. He allowed himself to get comfortable with her, and they gained an understanding. A connection. And she proved to be much more than what she allowed people to believe. She was a perfect little actress.

Steve waved a hand at the people shouting in German, "Kapitän Amerika! Es ist Kapitan Amerika!" (It's Captain America!) but didn't stop running as he passed a railroad crossing.

Here was the problem however. Where Captain America was "as honest as the day is long", the Black Widow could rival even Thor's brother, Loki, with her lies. Where Steve's inner motto was "the truth will set you free", Nat's was "truth is relative, it is what I say it ". Where Steven Rogers focused on "What's the right thing to do?, Natasha Romanoff's focus was "How does this benefit me?". It unfortunately created a barrier between them that seemed impossible to cross. You couldn't have a relationship with someone without trust. But...

 _"If it was down to me to save your life...would you trust me to do it?"_ the memory of their shared moment in Sam's house flashed through his mind. _"I would now."_ he had said with total confidence.

Not that it mattered really. She obviously wasn't into "prudes" like him. She had even gone out of her way to set him up on dates! Girls don't do that when they liked someone. Did they? Steve began to sprint even faster as his frustration grew. He wasn't sure if women were the same as what he was used to. Most likely not, since everything was different except for mankind's hunger for power. That would always be the same. Steve's understanding was this: if a woman was uninterested, she'd ignore you or act unaffected. If they were upset with you, they would become cold and turn away whenever you entered the room. If they liked you...well, he didn't have much experience with that. They'd smile? Compliment? Allow you to kiss them?

 _"You still don't know a bloody thing about women."_ the memory floated through his mind. Peggy.

Then again, the women he liked didn't seem like normal people. Peggy had shot at him because she had been jealous. And agent Romanoff? Well, she was much more dangerous than Peggy ever was. He wondered for a moment what a jealous Agent Romanoff would be like, and then shook his head. What was he going to do? Steve hadn't done well in the dating department before Dr. Erskine came to him like a fairy godfather offering to make all his dreams come true.

Steve slowed his run to a quick paced jog as he chuckled out loud between his breaths at his own inner dialogue. What a strange world he lived in. It really had been like a fairy-tale as he thought about it. There he was, trying to get into the army for the umpteenth time, getting his frail body ready for yet another exam. He still remembered the feeling of the uncomfortable cot on his bony rump. Trying to be a man like his father had taught him and live the values his mother had instilled in him... when into the room came a man with spectacles and a white coat, asking him if he wanted to kill people. Of course he didn't, but what should he say?

 _"Honesty is the best policy son. Always follow it, and you will achieve more than other men around you."_ His father's words came to him as he sat there, just like they always did when the temptation to lie was before him. His father was right. By being honest, although it seemed pathetic at the time, he opened a door that remained closed to all others. He was given a calling to become more than just a warrior. He was called to be a symbol. It couldn't be coincidence that the super-soldier serum was destroyed merely 30 minutes after Steve had been transformed.

He slowed as he reached the lake, his chest heaving from the exertion he had forced his body into. For a moment, he stilled, taking in the sight before him. The deep black of the lake contrasted with the light blue sky. Mountains surrounded them on all sides, as he and Sam were currently close to the Alps in Germany. It was neatly framed by lush green trees and where the sun made it's way past the green leaves it hit the water and sparkled. Pretty as a picture.

He checked the time.

Steve has just run 60 miles in 53 minutes. That's faster than any Olympic runner could ever hope to be. He was as fast as a cheetah. But not fast enough it would seem. His problems had accompanied him the whole way. Steve looked at the lake, wondering for a crazy moment if they would follow him down at the bottom of a lake as well if he went swimming, before sighing and turning around to sit on a bench that overlooked the view.

Germany was beautiful. And much MUCH better since the war. After the war, the United States buried the hatchet and had actually helped rebuild much of war-torn Germany, thus creating strong ties between the people. Sue for peace, not war. The Germans had learned from the sins of their forefathers, and all were disgusted and ashamed of Hitler and Red Skull. Steve had been very proud to hear that. He had gone to the Holocaust Memorial in Washington D.C. and it had nearly driven him to his knees in tears. He hadn't been able to save those people.

Steve sighed deeply, trying to let the memories flow through him and then escape, trying to not hold onto them. He needed to keep his sanity. He closed his eyes and used his super sensitive ears to listen. It was silent. Peaceful. Only a faint breeze and the birds arguing with each other with pleasant tittering and chirps.

Natasha was good. Just like Bucky was good. They both just didn't...know it yet. Steve opened his eyes again. Bucky had saved him. He was still alive. His best friend was still alive inside the Winter Soldier somewhere. That's why he was here in Germany. After destroying Ultron, he and Sam had immediately gone back to searching for Bucky and had been all over Ukraine, Poland and currently were in Germany trying to find out anything about where Bucky was. The Winter Soldier had seemingly disappeared. Steve wondered if...*BEEP BEEP!*

Steve froze, his pocket beginning to vibrate then relaxed as he realized it was just his cellphone he forgot he had with him. Cellphones were great, but he was embarrassed to admit that he was what you would call "Technology illiterate". He didn't let people know, but he still had a hard time understanding the basics of how the internet worked and which buttons to push. Kids took to technology like a duck takes to water. Kids were so smart these days. Maybe after all this was over he could apply to a Cellphone 101 class in college or something? Did they have a class like that?

He checked the caller.

Tony was calling. For the 23rd time. Steve smirked and shook his head, wondering if he should answer the phone. Tony was so much like his dad it was unreal. That made his decision as he touched the green phone on the screen to answer.

"Hey Tony."

"Hi you! Where ya at?" Tony's chipper voice sounded.

"Same place I was LAST time you called, Tony." Steve sighed, resting his arm on the bench as he leaned further in his seat.

"Oh really? Well, that's cool. Me too. Same place, ya know."

"Tony, I said I would think about it, alright?" Steve said sternly, a little exasperated as he already knew where this conversation would lead.

"Understood Cap. But ya know, it's been about 6 months you've been out there, and you haven't come up with anything. SO!" Tony began using a questioning sing-song voice, "How about coming back to the Avenger's compound I created for the team? Tomorrow? 8:00 pm? With all your happy team mates? And let's take a break from looking for frozen guys from 1945! How bout it?". Steve was reminded of his next door neighbor's kid asking for a cookie, when he lived in the apartment complex before SHIELD went down.

"Tony..." Steve sighed, part of him wanted to laugh and another part of him wanted to wack him on the head. He chose neither and simply pinched the bridge of his nose. Tony'd been bugging him for a while now, wanting to get the team back together.

"Just for a month! We'll stay up late in our PJ's, swapping manly stories, and in the morning I'll make waffles!"

"..."

"You obviously haven't seen Shrek yet. You're about as fun as my old man, you know that? I think I'm going to start calling you Grandpa America."

"I'm really busy here." Steve, said firmly, wanting the conversation to end. But not wanting to be rude enough to hang up first.

"I'll even pay for you to fly back to Russia or wherever you are if you decide you don't like it! Besides, we have new recruits if you didn't remember? The Maximoff girl needs some leadership in her life. A father figure. Aaaaand if you leave me and Vision to raise her by ourselves there's no telling how she'll turn out." He joked.

"Good-bye To..."

"C'mon Steve! Natasha's already arrived a couple of hours ago," Tony talked over him like it was nothing but Steve quite hovering his finger over the red phone icon when Nat was mentioned.

"and if the 'Widow' is willing to share space and give being 'roomies' a try, I'm sure you can too. The rest of the team arrives tomorrow. EVERYONE! Except you..." his voice became stern at the end of his spiel.

Steve didn't respond, thinking to himself. Natasha was there. She had been on "vacation", looking for a new cover or so since she had last talked with him. He had wanted to invite her to come help him and Sam. But before he could ask, she had given him a kiss on the cheek and had told him to call the nurse. Which he hadn't done. She had made it obvious that Steve was just a friend. Well, it had been his idea in the beginning So, it made sense. Steve could live with that. He had to. It's just that, after Natasha proved that there was more to her than a skin tight black suit and a flirty, smooth-talking attitude, Steve realized that...

"Cap? You still with me?" Tony asked.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm here." Steve said, distractedly, "Look, I don't think I'd be able to make it tomorrow. Maybe next week..." the words spilled out unthinkingly.

"GREAT! I'll help Pepper set your room up. She'll be happy you're coming. See you in a week!"

*BEEP*

Steve sat there, frozen for a moment, looking at his phone dumbfounded. Tony had clearly hung up before Steve could say anything contrary. Then he tipped his head back and laughed. And laughed and laughed. Well played, Mr. Stark. Well played. Tony was one of the brightest men of his day, but sometimes he acted like a child. Interestingly enough, it worked to his advantage. Howard hadn't raised Tony with the attention and love that he should have, Steve was sad to find. The man Steve had worked with had changed along with the times. Howard had his only son in his older years, and according to Tony "was a crabby old man with more money than time on his hands".

Which resulted in a child of Tony's genius IQ to have a devious and rambunctious nature as it seemed to be the only way his dad payed any attention to him, since he was always working.

Tony Stark grew up, learning that being cheeky, witty, and sometimes downright rude was the only way for people to pay attention to you. REALLY pay attention to you. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it was true. Thus, everyone was cheeky, witty, and rude. Although, Tony pulled it off with more flare than anyone he ever met.

Steve wondered if he would have changed with the times too if he had been alive. If he had had kids, what would they be like? Would they be like Tony? He hoped not. Unlike Howard, Steve actually WANTED to have kids.

Steve hunched forward and rested his elbows on his knees, thinking about the life he would never have. "Love," his mother had once told him while they were in the kitchen making apple pie for a thanksgiving dinner, "is a four letter word, Steve. It's spelled T-I-M-E. Time." And then she coughed as she slapped Bucky's hand away from the caramel sauce he kept sneaking apples in. The beginning of a series of coughs which would one day kill her.

Steve thought about it. Tony had asked for time. Time for all the team to be together. And to be honest, Time sounded wonderful. Steve wanted time with the team. Time with Natasha.

With a sigh and a faint smile of surrender, Steve looked back at his phone and pressed the green phone icon again. Bucky could wait. He obviously didn't want to be found right now.

"Hey Cap. Where you at?"

"I went running to a nearby lake. Any news?"

"Nearby lake? There are no nearby lakes." Sam's confused voice sounded through the speakers.

"It's not exactly NEARBY, nearby. Anything new?"

"Nah, man. Still nothing. I got breakfast though. Hungry?"

"Pack up your bags, Sam. We're going home."

* * *

Yup! And the rest is history! Lol, jk. What did ya think? If you say you hate it, I will message you one of those nice, tender, heart-felt messages that will make you feel super bad about yourself ;) But if you say that it was boring, Ill understand. I think I spent too much time on backstory and details and stuff, lol.


	2. The Oscar Awards

Hey guys! Here it is, Chapter 2! The only reason I'm finally updating the story is because of my first review. Thank you for that supesfan18!

So, this chapter is going to sound a little similiar, as it was inspired by chapter 1 of Captain America fanfic "Calm Before the Storm" that I had read a couple of years back. Be sure to check it out! There are slight similarities, but I tried to change practically everything, except the plot of the chapter is the same. I messaged her asking for permission to use just this one chapter as my base.

I've already got most of the story written. Now it just needs some tweaking...and REVIEWS! Reviews = Updates.

I own nothing. It's Marvel's. This is just a fanfic. On with the show!

"Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you." - Tony Stark

* * *

The whole thing had been Tony's idea. Which meant that it either pure genius or pure madness or a mixture of both. Iron Man was like a Mad Hatter with the IQ of 180. Ok, so not that crazy. But still, the things that came out of Tony's mouth sometimes...

It wasn't all that bad of an idea, actually, compared to his other ideas. Ideas revolving on insane challenges that only ended in broken and bruised Avengers, tests of mental strength (which he normally won), and all-you-can-eat contests at Chinese buffets between Thor and the Hulk. Ok, yeah, those ideas weren't all that bad either. Even though they HAD gotten kicked out of various buffet places...

No, this was different. Tony had created "The Avenger Facilities" and invited all the Avengers to come and live. She remembered when Tony had called her while she was in the middle of Brazil on her "vacation" a month ago and had revealed his plan to have a place where they all lived together. LIVED together! Like some kind of "pajama parties everyday" kind of thing. Haha, if Natasha didn't know that Tony was head-over-heels for Pepper, she'd have been a little concerned.

It seemed almost as if he was trying to spend as much time as possible together. Which was...endearing.

Natasha had been the first to arrive. She watched, leaning casually on the island, as people began showing up throughout the night. It was the first night they would all be spending as roomies.

"I'm so surprised he's like this." Pepper intoned, coming over to where she was and nodded towards Tony who was busy talking to FRIDAY, with tons of floating screens around his face. Funny thing was that instead of iron man stuff and security preparations, he had interior designing, fun outing ideas, and pranks he planned on playing on the different Avengers. He seemed more Mad-Hatter than usual, in Nat's opinion.

"He's been like this since he came back."

"Why?" Natasha wondered out loud.

"I guess being on the Avenger team really woke up a part of him that I didn't know existed. I'm betting he didn't either. He feels like he's found 'home' for the first time since his parents passed. Guess Iron man really does have a heart", Pepper said thoughtfully, grinning at the end.

"Hmm" Natasha intoned, "He's like a little kid on Christmas day."

"Yes! Haha! We were pretty surprised when everyone decided it was a good idea."

"And...everyone's arriving today?" Natasha asked normally, purposefully using a practiced hint of disinterest.

Pepper shrugged, "Mostly everyone. I know Tony has been harassing Steve for months. He wants him here more than anyone else, but unfortunately 'Grandpa America' will be the only one who won't make it tonight." She chuckled at a conversation only she knew about, then continued, "But apparently Tony convinced him to come later this week. Thank goodness for that, otherwise Tony would be much less enthusiastic about the Avengers Facilities."

Natasha didn't expect the rush of disappointment that spread through her body as Pepper mentioned the only name she had been hedging for. She understood where Tony was coming from. She also wanted to see him more than anyone else tonight. In truth, it's why she accepted the invite.

"Get a grip Romanoff." she chided herself for the involuntary emotion.

She employed her practiced voice yet again, into her normal drawl.

"What a shame. Cap's going to miss out on all the pizza that Wanda is getting."

"I haven't heard from him in a long time...", Pepper said, thoughtfully, turning to her. "Was he ok? After the whole Ultron fiasco? He just...took off soon after."

"Oh well, you know Captain America. Nothing can take him down." Natasha smiled, memories of their time in D.C. with kisses on elevators, intense moments in darkened hospital rooms, heart-to-heart car conversations, connections forged wearing nothing but tanktops, and then... a disappointing good-bye.

That one was her fault, really. She could admit that. She had felt herself losing balance as she looked into those baby-blue eyes, falling into an abyss that looked so welcoming, and it frightened her more than anything she had ever faced. So she put up the walls of defense. Shut herself away from Cap's 'charm and magnetism', told him to call the nurse and basically forget whatever it was that had happened between them. She was doing her best to not slide out of the friendship zone. Steve had said he wanted to just be friends, and that's what she was going to give him damn it.

Pepper chuckled and both turned to the "DING!" sound of the elevator. Once again, Natasha reprimanded the fluttering of hope and elation she felt when her mind couldn't help but think that maybe Pepper was wrong. Maybe her partner was arriving sooner than expected?

All turned to the opening elevator doors. And in came the legend himself...Bruce Banner.

"Hey Bruce." Natasha spoke softly, instinctively using her 'Calm-Hulk-Down-Voice" without realizing. He looked...like he had been couch hopping for a while. Natasha took in his messy brown hair, stubble on his face, and...holy shoes?

"Natasha..." his brown eyes were tired. He shuffled hesitantly, and then smiled, "It's good to see you."

"Alright you two, don't make things awkward." Tony came forward, before she could respond, blocking their view of each other. "No awkwardness allowed at the Avenger's facility. Just kiss and make-up. How's our favorite green monster?" Tony walked over to shake his hand and slap him on the back.

"Hey, Tony thanks for the invitation, I really appreciate it." Bruce said sincerely. Natasha couldn't help but wonder where he had been all this time? He, out of all of them, probably needed this facility gig more than anyone. He apparently had no where else to go.

"Want a drink? You look like you need one." Tony candidly remarked.

Pepper sighed, "Tony!..."

"Maybe we can start with a place to put my bag," Bruce answered with a slight chuckle, briefly looking at the beat-up duffle bag he had in his left hand. "Hi Pepper."

"Dr. Banner, it's nice to see you again," Pepper said, always polite. The opposite of Tony Stark. "We've set up your rooms already. FRIDAY can give you the passkey code once you settle in."

"I'll take you over to your floor," Tony chimed in, "It'll give me the chance to discuss something I'm working on with you..."

"Please tell me this isn't another Ultron..." Bruce asked, worriedly.

Tony just laughed, which was not IN THE LEAST bit reassuring, and they walked over to the elevator doors once again suddenly speaking about tesseract stuff and left for the moment.

Not long after Bruce, Clint walked in followed by Vision and a concentrating Wanda who was eerily floating 20 boxes of pizza in the red-hazed air in front of them. Vision and Wanda had left earlier to pick them up since they said they wanted to go for a drive. Clint must have met them coming in.

Nat laughed, "Oh wow, how many people are coming to this little homecoming?"

She was impressed and, although she'd never say it, _awed_ by Wanda's powers. Such incredible things were being discovered since Tony Stark had basically **shoved** earth into a new era when he created the Iron people just had all the luck in life, like gaining supernatural powers.

"Oh, this? It's all for me." Wanda said, smirking, "You can go get your own." They chuckled as she laid the stack of pizza's on the counter. Wanda had been living with Tony and Pepper since Sakovia. She was an orphan, and with the loss of her brother she needed looking after. Tony and Pepper made a good team. One was super caring and thoughtful, the other would always occupy her mind and keep her on her toes. Then there was always Vision who seemed to be hovering somewhere nearby Wanda all the time.

"No, we all know Thor and Bruce can each eat 5 boxes. So Tony had me get 20 so the rest of us got some." Wanda explained, flicking her long soft curls over her shoulder and then continued to slice the pizzas with her mind. Incredible.

Clint was wearing his normal jeans and shirt, everyone still being surprised that he was a farm boy. But that didn't compare to the surprise that was Vision. It was her second time seeing him like this, and it still floored her. He looked human, with a flop of blonde hair on his head and wearing clothes that Wanda, seemingly, had helped pick out for him. He looked so human, it made her feel uneasy. Kind of like looking at an optical illusion. You knew what you were seeing wasn't real, but you couldn't NOT see it.

Clint had his own family and wouldn't be staying more than a week.

Too bad Nick wouldn't be part of the Avengers, Natasha mused. If the postcard she had received in the mail was to be believed, he was in the Bermuda Triangle. Only she and Maria Hill had received "Wish you were here" cards. What a guy, that Nick Fury. Not many got his dry sense of humor, but she and Maria always had. They were his 'go-to' girls. She also had a few ideas of what he was doing there and it certainly wasn't looking for Atlantis.

Natasha found herself looking towards the door without meaning to. Wondering...hoping...

* * *

Black Widow didn't drink. Not seriously, anyways. When you're a Russian-spy-turned-American, you encounter too many negatives to alcohol than simply a bad hangover. One of those being that poison was a very real and dangerous thing, something she had too often seen (and employed) in her line of work. You never could be too careful. It would be the perfect opportunity to kill the Avengers on a night like this when they were all gathering.

Not only that, but the point of drinking alcohol didn't work on her. It relaxed her, but the relaxation level had a limit. The more alcohol ingested, the more emotional she became. Alcohol made her honest with herself and with others. It made her remember. Which is why you'd probably find her in a depressed heap, crying on her bathroom floor if she drank too much. Fury and Clint had found her like that, once. The past was a thing better kept under the rug, if she wanted to function.

But... she was actually considering letting go this once and enjoying the relaxing benefit that alcohol had to offer her. She would only drink one shot and therefore "join in the fun" with her fellow Avengers who were probably going to get wasted.

With that, she poured herself a vodka shot and held it in her hand waiting for the right moment. Like a knife balanced on a finger.

"Heeeeey, look who's all here." Tony came in, clapping his hands together and rubbing them gleefully. "Time we start this party!" Bruce came in behind him.

"Nat," Clint called, walking over to her as everyone turned their attention to Tony who began cracking immature jokes and harassing everybody. It had begun.

"Clint" Nat let off her first big smile that evening. Good old Barton.

"How was your vacation?"

"Not much of a vacation to be honest. Took care of a few people on my list, got a nice tan and a Brazilian guy's number. How 'bout you?"

Clint laughed, "Well, forced vacations kinda helps when you have never ending projects at home."

"What sorts of projects?"

"Laura bought chickens," Clint made a face. "and had me build a chicken coop so the kids could gather eggs. Then she bought goats, which turned out to be a huge mistake, but she wanted the kids to be able to get their own milk. She's on a 'make the kids self-reliant' mission."

"Next time I go on vacation, I'm stealing your wife and taking her with me. She could use a break." Nat smiled.

"Uh-huh. I tell you that she had ME build a chicken coop and deal with run-away goats and you want to take HER on vacation?" they laughed and Clint continued, "Hey, have you talked to Fury lately?"

"Ummm," Nat didn't know if she should tell him about the postcard Nick had sent her. Probably not. "I don't know if Maria has but I haven't." She could twist the truth a little. She hadn't actually talked to him.

Clint didn't answer and just looked at her.

"What?" Nat asked.

"You doing ok? Heard from Rogers?"

Damn it Clint. Always has to have an eye for everything. "Just peachy." She then grinned convincingly at him. He didn't look convinced.

"Nat - I know you a bit better than that. I'm Hawk-eye, remember?" Clint's smile grew triumphant when Nat frowned at him. "If you need to talk about it, come find me."

"One word out of you Barton..." Nat's voice lowered and her eyes flashed dangerously, but Clint knew his comrade well enough and laughed.

"Oooooh! So scary!" he walked away with that smug grin still on his face.

Natasha cursed under her breath. She had slipped. The Black Widow DID NOT slip!

She knew even thinking about it - him - was wrong. They were from completely different worlds. Or rather times. But how to stop it?

 _"It doesn't matter. Steve doesn't feel anything for you. You have a week to practice acting normal around people until he arrives. Focus."_

With that, she tipped the glass back. Relishing the familiar feeling of fire running down her throat. The others hadn't fallen down dead, so it was probably safe tonight. But what if Captain America showed up?

 _"Relax. He's not going to show up so stop the fussing. It's too dramatic."_

Suddenly a whirlwind appeared on the balcony and from the mini tornado, Thor appeared, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a duffel bag on his shoulder. It was a funny scene, because he looked almost human except for Mjolnir swinging menacingly from his hand and all. Yet another 'larger than life' member of the team. Good thing she had Barton, or she'd be a duck among swans. Thor had been living on earth for a while now, since the convergence. Apparently gave up the throne of Asgard and all that implied and had taken residence someplace in Australia with a guy named Darvid or Darrell or something like that. But he was here now, so it seemed that particular arrangement had ended.

"Avengers! At last!" Thor exclaimed loudly - joyously as he walked into the living room. He placed the Mjolnir on top of his duffel bag and greeted everyone with his archaic booming voice. "Greetings to you all! What news have I missed? It seems our green friend is found at last!" he said, taking Bruce into a one-armed hug, "How is the second strongest Avenger?"

"Uh, he's good, Thor," Bruce said shyly, awkwardly, "I'm good." Seeming to grow in confidence a little he smiled and said, "And I'm not the second strongest here."

"Ah, is that a challenge comrade?" Thor gave him a smile that Natasha was coming to realize was his mischievous playful smile. It meant danger. Bruce suddenly looked stricken, worried that the Hulk would show up any moment.

"That comes tomorrow," Pepper smiled trying to make Bruce more comfortable, "Tonight it's all about you guys getting settled in."

"Good! Let us celebrate our 'Settling of the In' in a way to rival that of Asgard!" he said raising a fist to the air dramatically.

"Ahh, from the stories you've told us, that would take us weeks, Thor." Clint grinned, shaking his head.

Tony pointed at Thor from the couch, his other arm wrapped around Pepper, "Yuuuus! I agree! With Thor. I agree with Thor... Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark." Friday's female voice came online.

"Open up my reserved stash! It's going to be a long week." Tony jumped up off the couch and rushed to get every bottle of alcohol he could carry. Nat hoped he was joking. He probably was, but that didn't mean tonight wasn't going to be a college frat party. Pepper sighed and rubbed her head, Wanda laughed, Bruce grimaced, and Clint jumped up to help grab the glasses needed. Natasha and Vision just sat back with stern looks on their faces. She wondered if Wanda should even drink based on how young she was. Vision was probably thinking the same thing. There weren't any drinking laws in Sakovia, but there were here in the good old U.S.

Surprisingly enough, 5 bottles of whiskey later and Clint and Bruce were out cold. Tony and Thor began arm wrestling on the island counter with Tony's Iron Man sleeve. Pepper, Wanda, and Natasha hung out on the large couch with a margarita for Pepper, and vodka shots for Wanda and Nat nearby. Vision was sitting on another sofa nearby, reading a child's book of all things. It was a book where you flip the pages and feel the different leather and fur and textures. What a wonderful "childhood" Vision was getting, Nat smirked to herself.

She held onto the same shot-glass as she listened in to the women's conversation. No one noticed the full glass in her hands. She had pretended to down 4 of them already. It was a neat magician trick she had learned while on missions to get close to people. Make them think you're one of them and then...BAM! A fully sober agent is up and running the show while everyone else is in a drunken state. It was the art of illusion, which she shined at.

Nat began to drift off in the conversation seeing how make-up wasn't her thing. She really didn't use much make-up. Make-up didn't look so good when it ran down your face after sweating like a pig because you were in hand-to-hand combat with 5 guys in the Amazon rainforest wearing nothing but a...

"...I was asking Natasha about that."

Natasha's head turned back when she heard her name.

"I haven't seen him in so long, I really hope he doesn't take back his decision to live here," Pepper continued, Natasha catching only the last bit. Make-up to Captain America? How did they make THAT leap?

"Yeah, since I moved in with you and Tony after Sakovia, it seems like we need him here to whip us into shape." Wanda said, looking over at both Bruce and Clint passed out and giggled.

Pepper nodded, her cheeks a little flushed, "I get the feeling that Tony misses Steve more than he let's on. Even though it seems like their always disagreeing over everything. I'd be willing to bet that it has a lot to do with his father. I think Tony unconsciously connects Steve to his father an awful lot. I wouldn't be surprised if..." Pepper hiccuped and realized she was slipping up and probably shouldn't be saying personal things about Tony. She continued, "Last thing Tony told me was that he was somewhere in Germany...or Russia...hopefully staying out of trouble."

"When did Tony tell you this? Is this why he isn't coming until the end of the week?" Natasha asked, her eyes unconsciously shining as she leaned forward.

 _Real smooth Romanoff. Way to be obvious._

"Tony received a message from Sam about 2 weeks ago. But Tony talked to him again yesterday after you arrived and that's when he confirmed he'll be here in another week."

"It's probably the vodka talking, but," Wanda said, refilling her shot. Her sixth one, as she was trying to "out drink" Natasha

"I wouldn't mind him walking in here with that new suit of his. Being his partner is a tough one, huh?" She smiled over at Natasha.

Nat froze for half a second, before donning a sly smile, "Not really. People say the same thing about me and my suit."

"True, haha! Think he'll go for me if I borrow your suit?" Wanda laughed, taking another gulp of her alcohol, missing the look that passed on Natasha's face for an instant. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Vision, a couple of sofas away from them, look up from the children's texture book he was busy exploring.

Natasha leaned forward, smiling dangerously and asked in a hushed manner, "Are you asking me to set you two up?" She quirked her eyebrows and both Wanda and Pepper laughed, faces blushing from the alcohol.

 _"And the Oscar goes to Natasha Romanoff."_ she thought, a little grimly. _Best little actress in all the world..._

 _"Tough way to live."_ The memory of her and Steve's conversation floated through her head, making her balk a little.

 _"You know it's kinda hard to trust someone when you don't know who someone is..."_ Steve had said.

 _"Who do you want me to be?"_ She had asked him.

"Ok, Ok, Nat. Who IS your type? I've always been curious. What are you looking for in a man?" Pepper smiled at her, and then frowned as she looked closer at Nat and suddenly eyed her shot glass shrewdly, "You're not drunk?"

It was time. Natasha downed the shot glass, her second one that night. The cool drink burned in a familiar way down her throat, and she said, "Just a little bit tipsy. Not too bad." She put a hand to her head to seem convincing.

"Gosh, girl! You've had like, 5 shots already! You're a machine!" Wanda blinked, probably seeing stars as she stared at the poised and collected agent before her, not realizing it was the same shot glass. People saw what the Black Widow wanted them to see. Wanda's and Natasha's drink of choice was vodka, based on their Russian background.

"Well, it comes from years of practice." Natasha smiled, glad they had gotten off the topic of her and Steve.

To be honest, she HAD been annoyed at Wanda's offhand comment. It shouldn't bother her so much, but it did. Probably because it was true. It wasn't easy being the partner of the most kind-hearted, polite, and HONEST man she had ever met. Steve was incorruptible. He was more a God than Thor was. And yes, his body did look like it had been chiseled by a Greek architect. But, that didn't matter really, if she was honest. For years she had focused on men for what was on the outside, and it only ended up in broken dreams and empty beds. Steve had shown her a whole new species of men that she hadn't known existed.

Natasha snapped out of it, before she could allow her thoughts to lead farther down the dark corridor of her memory house. She was thinking too much on what could be and what had been. Stupid alcohol. Two shot glasses and she was already thinking of past problems. This was why she created her past. This is why she made it up. Because the truth was sometimes too much.

"Why didn't you go with him?" Pepper asked, catching Natasha off guard.

The answer was simple. She needed to get space from him to try to get things in her head back to normal. Didn't work though. Things were starting to change. Being her "normal self" wasn't as appealing as before. Captain America was turning her perfectly built up world upside down and shaking it for good measure. She just had to hold on, and not let it get to her.

 _Too late._ A little smug voice inside her said. _Shut UP!_ She looked at the shot-glass in annoyance. Should've just done the little trick again to make them think she had taken it.

She finally acquiesced and said, "He had Sam. If he needed me, he would have let me know." She hoped they would leave it at that. But, of course, they didn't.

"Did he feel the same way?" Pepper asked. Clearly the alcohol was getting to both of them. Wanda was handling it better, but after three margaritas, she was surprised Pepper was still talking.

"Umm, I didn't need help."

"That's not what she meant, Nat. You know it." Wanda giggled, like a schoolgirl. She scooted closer to Natasha, gulping down the last of her drink. Pepper was turning to her as well, as if there was something juicy coming.

Natasha grimaced, not liking where this conversation was headed. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion...you wanted it to stop...but at the same time you wanted to see what would happen, you were kinda hoping for it. What would it look like? How many casualties?

"Do you like him?" Pepper asked, curiously. She smiled sheepishly and laughed. "It's just girl talk, Nat. It's not going to kill you to admit that he's handsome. And a gentleman." She closed her eyes dreamily and then opened them blearily, "I think I've had too much."

"You're right," Natasha chuckled, releasing some of her tension, "You both have had enough to drink."

Drinking, Natasha had always known, showed you who the person was when the walls all came down. Mostly, it turned everyone into complete idiots (which isn't surprising cause that's just how humanity is as a whole). Other times it made people angry and showed you the maniac demon that the person hid within. Other times, it made them weepy and emotional, like Nat. But for Pepper and Wanda, it didn't really change them. It actually made them gentler. More caring, perhaps sleepier. More bold even. Like they were worried about Natasha but never could ask her these things when they were sober. What would Steve be like? She would never know. She had tried to get him drunk once to find out, but he had laughed after the 10th bottle and had told her that his body metabolized alcohol too fast so it was a pointless endeavor. He had become very still then and quiet, and then confided in her that he had only ever tried to get drunk one other time as Captain America; after his friend Bucky had supposedly died. They had been like brothers. Natasha never tried to get him drunk again.

"Spoilsport. If you don't answer the question, it's kind of like your answering it anyways, right Pepper?"

"Mm-hmm"

Natasha frowned again as memories of a stolen car came rushing back to her. _"Tough way to live.", "Yeah. Good way not to die though.", "...hard to trust someone when you don't know...", "Who do you want me to be?"_

 _Damn it._

"Alright, fine." she sighed, leaning back on the cushions. Wanda smiled widely and tried to stay awake. "Of course he's handsome. I think that was included in the serum they gave him. But he's more than that." Nat had the sudden desire to share with them the man that was on the _inside_ , "He's GOOD. Better than anyone could hope to be. He'd sacrifice his life for you even if he didn't know you. That's why he went into the ice, obviously. He lives up to the legend, that's for sure."

"Tony once mentioned that you had tried setting him up with dates. I wish I had been on the team back then. I'd have been on that list in a heartbeat," Wanda said, laughing. "That offer to use your Black Widow suit still available?"

A book snapping shut briefing drew all their attention, as Vision got off the sofa and walked over to where Tony and Thor were crowing and shouting, someone obviously winning. They turned back to the conversation again.

Natasha had had enough and answered a little more clipped than usual, her acting skills glitching a little "I'm not doing that anymore." As a second thought, "Steve forbade me."

"No, I guess you can let him find the one, which I'm sure he has already..." She smiled at Natasha, as if she knew something that Nat didn't know. What had Tony said? Was everyone talking about her behind her back? "Anyways, I'm about done. I'll be heading to my floor now. I just hope I make it there."

"Yeah, me too kid. I'm also worried about Pepper," Natasha said, wondering about the words Maximoff had just said to her. She shouldn't think about it. First Clint, now Wanda? She needed to stay calm.

 _Calm._

Catching the movement of Wanda standing, Vision came back over with Tony and Thor close behind, laughing at each other's loss.

"Ready for bed?" Tony asked, coming to stand in front of Pepper. She nodded drowsily and hummed. He helped her gently to his feet, practically carrying her.

"Are you alright Wanda?" Vision helpfully asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Of course Viz" She said, smiling. Her eyes staying closed more often than open.

"Yeah, no. You need to help her Vision. She'll pass out in the elevator if you don't take her." Nat shook her head, sternly but couldn't keep the gentle chuckle that escaped her lips. "We're such bad guardians."

"Of course I'll help." He said, eager to help. He gently picked Wanda up, and suddenly his human glamour melted away. It was such a surreal thing, looking at the strange colors and patterns that were revealed on his skin. But the gleaming orange jewel on his head was the strangest thing. He looked so alien. Nat didn't know which side of him she preferred. The lie or the truth. It didn't negate the fact that he wasn't...human. Even Thor was more human than he.

"Thor, you and the wasted radioactive monster over there are on the 20th floor. F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Tony called out.

"Yes Mister Stark?"

"Can you give our guests the passkeys when they reach their rooms?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

Tony turned to Vision, who was floating away with Wanda. "How about you buddy? You going to sleep later?"

"My sleep cycle will not be for another 2 days. I think I will stay up in my room and listen to music." Vision said, with a distant voice, halfway turning back to look at Tony with Wanda in his arms. She looked half asleep already. Must be comfortable, floating in the air...

"Suit yourself", Tony shrugged and then proceeded to disappear to the left of the hallway, extending all the way to their bedroom and Vision forgoed the elevator and went to the stair case. Guess it was faster for him? Once they were gone, Thor and Natasha were left with the two passed out heroes on the couch.

"Uh, Thor? I know I'm superhuman strong, but do you think you can get at least Bruce up to your floor?" Nat asked, looking at Bruce and Clint "I think Clint has a room for the week, but I'm not sure which one."

"Of course! I will see to it that they're both put to bed soundly." Thor grinned coming over and lifting up BOTH of the grown men and put them onto his two shoulders as if they were two barrels of ale.

Nat scoffed, "Well! I guess I can let you help me this one time." she joked.

Thor winked at her and said, "I bid you a good night, Natasha. Pleasant dreams." He made his way to the elevator doors casually, with the two guys limply swinging from his shoulders as if this was something he did every Thursday night. Which, who knew? Maybe in Asgard he did?

Natasha found herself alone amidst all the empty bottles and pizza boxes. She should probably help clean up...

 _Nah_

She shrugged and settled more deeply into the cushions. Tony was rich and would get a cleaning crew or something. She'd only had 2 slices of pizza since she ate very healthy and didn't enjoy the grease. And the bottles definitely weren't hers. So, why clean up?

Her thoughts turned to the only member of the team that had been absent, and one of the most important. Steve. Where was he? What was he doing?

Natasha sighed, and kicked her shoes off. One more week. She could wait a week. She laid down on Tony's super soft couch and closed her eyes. She was going to sleep on the couch, again, for the second night. She still hadn't seen her room...

A DING sound announced that someone had arrived on the floor. Nat was curious who it was, but kept herself completely still. Did Vision come back? Probably not, because he usually just floated through the walls if he wanted to get somewhere. Maybe Thor got lost? If it was an intruder, she had a knife in her boot she could throw. Oh yeah, she took those off. 2 sets of footsteps on the wooden floors announced that two people were walking towards her. She forced herself to relax into the couch, her senses on high alert. When they were right next to her they stopped.

She heard a chuckle and then, "Looks like it was one hell of a party!" a familiar voice said, amused.

Sam?! Nat had had enough of being blind and snapped her eyes open, looking at the 2 men in front of her.

She felt a shock of electricity and her mouth fell open.

"Steve?!"

"Hello Nat." Captain America smiled down at her.


End file.
